SHREWS, MICE AND MOLES: THE PAINTING

Recently, I posted Mrs. Trowbridge's sketch of Shrews, Mice and Moles. Above is the exquisitely soft watercolor that she painted from her sketch. Sometimes I liken Mrs.T to a busy little robot. Though she was constantly occupied with her family and community responsibilities, she always returned to her journal, where she scribed and painted her lovely pictures. She was faithful to her painting throughout her life. Mrs. T lived with her family on Wild Rose Creek, in the rain forest village of Huckleberry Hollow.

MRS. T and the DRAGON

Some have asked how the Trowbridge shrews passed their time during the long cold winters in the rain forest. Mrs. Trowbridge would be quick to point out that the winters were as busy as the summers, with numerous wintertime tasks to keep them occupied.

This is the time that Mrs. T reserved for darning and mending well-worn items of clothing for her family...a sweater or socks for the children, an overcoat for Woodrow. She used thistledown, spun into thread, for all her sewing and mending tasks. A scarf made with thistledown was soft, warm and cozy.

Today's page is among my favorites from Mrs. T's easel. In this painting she records her first encounter with a dragon while on a trip to the high meadows with family and friends.

FAMILY GATHERING

Most of the Trowbridge family reunions were held at Violet's brother's cottage in Huckleberry Hollow. His name was Thaddeus. She often spoke fondly of him in her writings. Thaddeus' nest went deep underground, allowing plenty of room for fun and revelry, and making his nest ideal for large family gatherings.

The flowers in the window box of Mrs. Trowbridge's painting (above) are the Western Bog-laurel (Kalmia microphylla). The yellow flower in the clay pot is the Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), a member of the rose family. Finally, the Nootka Rose (Rosa Nutkana), pictured above. We've encountered this lovely flower often in open areas of the forest on our way to the high meadows.

The hips or seed pods of the Nootka Rose are edible but a little bitter. They are said to be delicious after being frozen and thawed, which seems to destroy most of the bitterness. Many of you may have enjoyed rose hip tea. Mrs. T was immovable in her fondness for rose hip tea...it was her favorite drink on cold winter mornings.

ESCAPE FROM THE FLAMES!

Frozen with fear, our little shrew must decide what to do in order to escape the little dragon's flame-throwing mouth. Can friendship arise from the flames? We shall see.

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WHAT IS IT?

Mrs. Trowbridge spent much of her idle time crafting clever stories and limericks for her children and grandchildren. Little did she know that her stories would be read not just in the rain forest, but around the world. Click on "blog archive" on the left to see previous episodes.

This past weekend we returned to Huckleberry Hollow country once again. We stayed on the shores of Lake Quinault in the Quinault Rain Forest, near where Mrs. T once lived. One of my favorite places on the planet is the Lake Quinault Lodge on Lake Quinault. I spent part of my weekend writing and drawing in the lovely main room with it's big fireplace (see lodge web site). Before motels, there were lodges, and Lake Quinault Lodge is one of the grandest of them all.

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